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In the United States, abortion laws began to appear in the 1820s, forbidding abortion after the fourth month of pregnancy. This became a major problem because too often, women who desperately needed abortions resorted to unsafe illegal abortions performed by poorly trained practitioners in unsanitary conditions. But, many women were put in this “rock and a hard place” due to the lack of safe and effective birth control. Abortion was considered a very sinful act and most major medical associations despised the action. For 125 years, the AMA took a fierce pro-life stance, stating in 1859 that abortion is the “unwarranted destruction of human life.” In 1871, the AMA called doctors performing abortions, “false to their professions, false to principle, false to honor, false to humanity, false to God.” Through the efforts of physicians, the American Medical Association (AMA), and legislators, most abortions in the US had been outlawed by 1900. And by 1965, all 50 states had banned abortion with some exceptions which varied by state: to save the life of the mother, in cases of rape or incest, or if the fetus was deformed. Groups like the National Abortion Rights Action League (NRAL) and the Clergy Consultation S